A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
Unsolicited Advice - MTSO owner
Posted: May 31, 2012
After spending the morning reviewing reports transcribed by really well-trained and knowledgeable transcriptionists, and filling in numerous blanks/correcting mis-heard words and numbers, I feel compelled to shout: PEOPLE, INVEST IN QUALITY HEADPHONES!
I hear all the time when I make this request of my subs that the $10 ear buds or $20 Radio Shack over-ears are just fine. Well, guess what. They're not. You would be amazed at what you're missing that your reviewers are hearing, and how that's hurting you. No matter how much you know, and how fast you type, if I have to proof every word (and I do) and fill in blanks or make corrections that are clearly due to mis-hears on every page (and I do), it is going to cost you much more in the end, in terms of lack of pay raises and your reputation as a quality transcriptionist.
I realize $125+ is a lot of money to shell out for earphones, but a quality set of Bose or similar could make all the difference in your career. Amortized over their five-year or so lifespan, it could be the most productive money you'll spend this year.
Then provide the necessary equipment for the job - sm
[ In Reply To ..]That is the least you MTSOs can do, especially since you cannot provide a decent line rate anymore!
Provide the equipment? - OP
[ In Reply To ..]I'm a small company. My subcontractors are independent contractors. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't legally provide their equipment. And I pay .10/line. The remainder barely covers my time to process the reports, let alone proof word for word.
And of course when asked the name of your company - sm
[ In Reply To ..]I will get no answer. Hmmm wonder why
What's your name? - OP
[ In Reply To ..]My company name is my own name, and no, I'd rather you didn't have it.
No one here works for me. I've read multiple posts from multiple posters who may benefit from my observation, so I've offered my two cents. That's all. I'm sorry you have a problem with that, and confused as to why.
As I said, no info given to name - sm
[ In Reply To ..]of course I have a problem with someone bragging how much they pay or get paid and then not telling the company name. If you cannot understand that, then I am the one who is confused here!
10 cpl, for real? - another MTSO
[ In Reply To ..]You pay .10 cpl and still have to listen to every single word? That's not time or cost effective IMHO.
You're right. - OP
[ In Reply To ..]Thus my frustration.
so wanna hire an MT that does not need proofread - bellalinda
[ In Reply To ..]Just wondering if you want to replace the MTs who can't seem to get it right.
Not now - OP
[ In Reply To ..]But I might check out those Koss earphones mentioned below for my existing crew. Wonder if it will be okay with the IRS if I hand them out as "mid-year bonuses."
Lovely... give them the crap headphones and then - complain they cant hear!
[ In Reply To ..]Makes a lotta sense! I guess the MTSOs dont want quality employees by hiring those that dont need every report read, they would rather NITPICK and COMPLAIN!!!
No, just loyal to my reliable, long-time subs... - OP
[ In Reply To ..]...as I'm sure you'd want your company to be to you.
I'm referring to the post below by another reviewer who recommends a much less expensive Koss headset. I'm not married to Bose. If there's something comparable at a lower price point, I'm interested in checking it out.
loyal... with a $5 Koss headset? - wow
[ In Reply To ..]That is about as good as a mousepad for MT week!
What IS your problem? - OP
[ In Reply To ..]Quoting the poster referred to below:
"I use the Koss $30 stereo headphones and they are wonderful. They fit so snug and knock out nearly all noise in the room. As a QA person I get tons of notes saying the dictation was horrible and to me there were no sound issues."
If I can invest maybe $300 of my own money and maybe solve my problem, why is this a problem for YOU?
Loyal enough to call them out on an online message board. - Complain about them but keep them. sm
[ In Reply To ..]Makes no sense. Loyal, longtime or not, if they can't do the job, they shouldn't have the job. Here's some advice for you: Some people don't care about quality and only care about speed. I've seen it countless times and no set of headphones will fix that. Your biggest line producers are often putting out the worst reports just to get the almighty mega line count.
I would not work for you even if you did really pay 10 - sm
[ In Reply To ..]cpl with an attitude like that!
I also agree with this BUT.... (SM) - Mysideofthestory
[ In Reply To ..]when you let dictators use cell phones and have lousy re-recording equipment, there is NO way we can hear what is being said. This is my main gripe with MTSOs. Several years ago, I worked for a MTSO (bought out) that had an audiophile come and and design their audio system and the quality literally was like the dictator was in the room with me. THEY WERE NOT AFRAID to tell dictators when their dictation was not up to snuff either. Nowdays, MTSOs are so afraid they will lose the client's business they let them send out garbage dication. Work on your end and then we will be glad to work on our end.
None of this applies - OP
[ In Reply To ..]I'm not talking about bad audio. Of course you can't hear dictation that isn't hearable. My point is that my subs regularly miss what I can clearly hear with my 4-year-old Bose. The right equipment makes all the difference.
headphones - anon
[ In Reply To ..]I had Bose and they quit working after 6 months!! Maybe I just had lemons, but I have good quality ones from transcription gear, running around $40. Also, for those very low volume reports, the Boostaroo works great, and I get a lot of what other transcriptionists can't because I can actually hear the whisperers! Only negative is that you use a lot of batteries!
Not Necessarily - My opinion
[ In Reply To ..]My sis and I worked at the same MTSO a long time ago and we would listen to each other blanks and really try to "hear" what the blanks were. QA was always able to fill them in. We always wondered if QA was listening to the master copy and we were given a re-recording. We always thought this very strange.
This is funny, I bought a headset for 5 dollars today and hear just fine - sm
[ In Reply To ..]If I could afford one of those fancy headsets you bet I'd buy it, but gotta eat which is more important. I hear just fine with my 5 dollar koss headset, but I have docs who speak very clearly.
I have a 5 dollar Koss headset also - it will do for now
[ In Reply To ..]My electric bill is more important at this stage!
P.S. - OP
[ In Reply To ..]When I say "my subs" I should add that this is a common issue I have discussed with several other people in my position. This is not unique to me and my subs.
Look, I'm not trying to start an "us" against "you" thing here. I'm just pointing out something pretty simple that could be of value to people wondering why they aren't testing well, aren't getting raises, or they get poor reviews that they don't think they merit.
Not all MTSOs. I have no cell or VOIP in my contracts - just me
[ In Reply To ..]I do not allow physicians to dictate on cell or VOIP, and they speak extremely clear English. I transcribe part of the work myself, so it mystifies me why I am filling in blanks behind transcriptionists who are getting paid more than I am. Most times you can just look at the sentence to know what goes there, and I can definitely hear what they are saying. My personal pet peeve is when the physician's name is mispelled when it is right there on the letterhead. I too pay my MT a good rate and do not get paid for editing behind them.
I have several expensive pairs of headphones sitting - on the shelf gathering dust because - sm
[ In Reply To ..]my trusty old aluminum stethoscope headset with duct tape holding one side together and covering the protruding wires in the cord still gets far better clarity than the others.
You are right! - ah
[ In Reply To ..]They don't make them like they used to! I have used a set for years and years and since it broke, I've been through half a dozen or more of the not-so-cheap pairs!
I agree whole-heartedly, OP! - sm
[ In Reply To ..]I do law enforcement/court stuff and my high-quality, over the ear, noise-cancelling headphones are far superior to my wishbone ones. Unless you have invested in QUALITY headphones as I just described, you have no idea what you are missing when listening. It is worth the investment, especially those people doing VR. And it's a write-off :)
what kind do you have? - in the market
[ In Reply To ..]Thanks.
Count another vote for the quality headphones - Happy MT Robin
[ In Reply To ..]I have Bose around the ear headphones http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/audio_headphones/around_ear_headphones/index.jsp&model=ae2_headphones.
Are they expensive? Yes. Are they WORTH. EVERY. PENNY? Emphatically yes. Plus I put them down on my taxes as a deduction. You can do that even as an employee.
The different between these and ear buds or "transcription" headphones is night and day. Night and day. I'm on my second pair and that is only because my cat finally chewed through the cord on my first pair. Thankfully, when Bose revamped these, they made the cord removable and replaceable for $7. It's the only thing that has saved Buddy's life, as he's managed to get his little paws (adorably cute little paws, but still...) on 7 different cords. Yeah.
When I have had to switch to regular headphones or ear buds, just the fact that I can hear the keyboard clacking is enough to not make me hear the transcription or I have to turn the sound up so loud it hurts my ears.
I'll never willingly use another set of earphones again.
Mine are Phillips SBC HN110 - sm
[ In Reply To ..]and they don't rest on the ears - they are oblong so your entire ear fits inside of the super cushy cups. They also have a sound magnifier built into the headphones and are fully adjustable to fit pretty much anyone's noggin LOL. They were very reasonable, too, if I remember correctly.
Yes, and a quality sound card too! - just me
[ In Reply To ..]Not only a quality headset (Dictaphone Stereo Delux is only $80) but a quality sound card (SoundBlaster with their softweare if fabulous at $49). I too have to edit behind MTs, filling in blanks I hear clear as day, and I am hearing-impaired. You make more money (certainly justifying the expense) and less aggravation is incurred.
I have Sony noise cancelling headphones... - blondie
[ In Reply To ..]I got them at Radio Shack for $50, most expensive set they had in there. I don't know if they are Bose or not, and it doesn't say so on the headphones. They are good, but I am sure there are better out there.
Good advice about earphones - but question for you
[ In Reply To ..]I rarely leave blanks, but I have noticed this: About every 10 reports or so, I go back and listen through an entire dictation (even if there are no blanks) to see how accurate my transcription is. This practice is humbling and assures that I don't go on autopilot and get overconfident. Even the click of the keyboard can at times mask subtleties in dictation.
I use inexpensive Koss earphones but would be willing to invest in a better product if I thought it wouldn't disturb my eyeglasses. Anything that distorts my lenses can make me dizzy, and I find the weight on my head and even the heat caused by a plastic/rubber seal over my ears very uncomfortable. Can anyone recommend a high-quality lightweight set?
Dictaphone Delux Stereo headsets - just me
[ In Reply To ..]These are the best and extremely lightweight. I also wear glasses and am a headache patient. They are $80 at ECS in Ventura, and I can hear what most transcriptionists cannot with them, and I am hearing impaired. They last forever and come with different setups. Fabulous and worth every penny. I also use an external SoundBlaster with Media Toolbox 6, which is on sale for $49, again worth every penny and then some.
No pay raises are even given, and I have yet - to find an MTSO SM
[ In Reply To ..]who values an experienced MT with a quality reputation. Seriously. Those days are gone.
I do. - OP
[ In Reply To ..]I'm a very small operation (<10 subcontractors) and I truly do appreciate them. I couldn't do what I do without them. I read the comments at this forum and can't believe what some of you have to put up with. It's probably easier said than done, but I'd really urge anybody who is dissatisfied to beat the bushes for smaller operations like mine to contract with.
can anyone recommend a pair that are slim, I get - bad headaches
[ In Reply To ..]I am afraid of those large over ear ones because I have severe neck pain and get headaches often. I have always used the ear bud types.
Also, I have a budget around $50, but would love to stay under that. I am so poor!
Thanks.
Here's what I have been using for years - sm
[ In Reply To ..]Spectra FlexFone FLX-10 Headset with volume control.
My favorite in 25+ years as an MT. I also use a Boostaroo.
what is a boostaroo? - where does it go?
[ In Reply To ..]I am not a tech savy person at all, so please explain in a "simpleton" language. :)
A boostaroo..... - Old Pro
[ In Reply To ..]....is a small device that you plug into your speaker and then you plug your headphones into the Boosteroo, which boosts the sound. I had one and found it very helpful with ESLs and other mumblers, especially with four accounts I had that were re-recorded. You can buy a Boostaroo at Radio Shack. When I got mine several years ago it was around 20 bucks. No MT should be without one.
I have these same headphones. - Maggie May
[ In Reply To ..]I think I'm either my second or third pair, in 8-1/2 years of work. I'd like to get those Bose ones, but that's a lot of money to spend when I don't know if I'll like them or not. I'm afraid they might be too heavy and too hot for me to wear all day long.
You are so wrong - me2
[ In Reply To ..]My company values me. They value my skills. I'm not sure what you base your opinion on, but it's just not true.
To the OP . . . it is NOT the headphones - It is the ears and the knowledge
[ In Reply To ..]For the most part, it is not the headphones . . . it is the MT's auditory acuity and the range of their knowledge.
if MTs "mishear" words and transcribe them that way, that is a competence issue. You are supposed to know what should have been said. You are not supposed to be parrot-typing sounds.
A competent MT can transcribe material that is garbled simply because they know the job well enough.
An MT who has better auditory acuity will hear better than one who does not.
There has always been a headset myth in MT. New MTs and poor MTs have always blamed their difficulties on the headset, constantly searching for better equipment in the false belief that it will make a difference. It makes very little.
If you do not have the intellectual capacity and learning to know the difference between intra and inter or ilium and ileum, the problem is not the headset.
headphones - jan2
[ In Reply To ..]Weird! Up above this thread there's an ad for Bose headphones!
Agree and disagree with some of what you said - Happy MT Robin
[ In Reply To ..]"If you do not have the intellectual capacity and learning to know the difference between intra and inter or ilium and ileum, the problem is not the headset." Heartily agree.
"New MTs and poor MTs have always blamed their difficulties on the headset, constantly searching for better equipment in the false belief that it will make a difference. It makes very little."
Half and half. New MTs and poor MTs (who are in completely different classes, IMO) would be better served by using the best equipment possible. If you're a newbie and listening on sub par equipment, then you never develop the auditory capacity to become a good MT. Likewise if you're a poor MT - using subpar equipment won't allow you to improve your skills, IMO.
Saying that a really top notch head set doesn't make a different is, to my mind anyway, like saying that still using a 486 mg computer from 1992 is the same as using one from a couple of years ago. They're both computers, right?
I just know in my own personal experience using a noise cancelling set of headphones makes a HUGE difference in how well I can hear the voice files.
Great point but headsets help with nonmedical - just me
[ In Reply To ..]words that could change the meaning of a sentence or client verbiage. I lost most of my hearing during MT school, and I actually believe this has helped me a lot, as I have to know what to listen for and know what I am doing as opposed to just "typing what I think I hear." Still, I would not be able to work as well without great equipment. I have a hard time understanding why I have to fill in the blanks for hearing MTs. It is bad enough I have to fix their punctuation--things you learned in 5th grade.
Yep, sometimes it IS the headphones - Old Pro
[ In Reply To ..]If MTs use old cheapie headphones, they are likely not to be able to hear very well. There is an old saying, GIGO, GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT. I always gave myself every chance by having Rolls-Royce quality headphones. They paid for themselves.
You make a good point. - ah
[ In Reply To ..]I did not think it would make that much difference until I started using a cheap pair of earbuds after getting tired of replacing my Insight headsets. I had gone through about three pairs in a short period of time. After my last set broke, I bought a cheap pair of earbuds. Boy, the stuff I started missing in my reports was unbelievable!! Now I have a set of noise-canceling headphones and I'm back up to snuff!
Headphones - Me
[ In Reply To ..]I use the Koss $30 stereo headphones and they are wonderful. They fit so snug and knock out nearly all noise in the room. As a QA person I get tons of notes saying the dictation was horrible and to me there were no sound issues.
Let's face it.. - signalfire
[ In Reply To ..]Sometimes it's the dictator, the cell phone they insist on using, the car noise in the background (dictating on the way home late at night), the ceramic echo off the operating room tiles, the distance and cable and phone lines in between, sometimes it's the inexperience of the listener or the background noise in their place of work... but good headphones are a necessity in this business. Demanding your employer, or contract company supply you with them is shortsighted. If you truly can't afford good headphones or see the need for them, you don't belong in this business. Hey, every job has costs associated with it, I imagine prostitutes don't like spending out for condoms, but IT'S FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY. Not that we're prostitutes, but in 30 years, your ears will thank you if you use quality equipment.
HEADPHONE INVESTMENT - beaten down
[ In Reply To ..]If you think we should invest in quality headphones, why dont you PROVIDE quality headphones, it could probably someway be a tax write off for you. We are making less and less $$ daily thanks to your VR and off shoring to India. Some of us cant afford to invest in quality headphones.
Thank you - OP
[ In Reply To ..]Thanks to everyone who offered constructive opinions, pro and con, as well as suggestions of less expensive earphones that might be a good compromise for me and my crew. I hope folks struggling with testing and/or their companies' QA benefited from those parts of the conversation as well. I appreciate hearing your experiences and I'll be researching equipment (and IRS rules) this weekend.
Just bought - TK
[ In Reply To ..]I just ordered through Amazon an $80 set of headphones (over-ear) for 30 bucks! I love them. I never even used the earphones sent by the company I work for...never even took them out of the box. But, I've got to say these headphones are fabulous. They block out so much outside noise.
Care to share the name? Looking for a new ones myself. - Thank you.
[ In Reply To ..]: )
Sure thing! - TK
[ In Reply To ..]http://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHO9560-28-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B003VNKKUS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338751247&sr=8-1
It looks like the price went up a few dollars, but they are still on sale.
headphones or crappy trans? - stupified
[ In Reply To ..]Sounds like excuses for lame transcriptionists. Leaving us wonderful transcriptionists wondering how this happens!
Earphones - Cella
[ In Reply To ..]I just tried Yurbuds which begin at $29 and they have made a difference. The sound is crisp, clear and they never fall out of your ear. You are right, better sound, better production, less time trying to figure what is being said!
Thanks for this post! - someone out there
[ In Reply To ..]I never really appreciated the importance of having a good set of headphones until now. I plan on purchasing new ones. I agree with one of the posters, even if an MT is new or currently poor at transcribing, why add to it the disadvantage of having a poor headset. Do whatever is in your power to produce the best work you can.
Unsolicited advice - MTSO owner - friendlyMT
[ In Reply To ..]Guess what? I have bought Bose ear plugs, because I wanted to hear everything and it makes "all" the difference. I would use no other. I had my first set 2 years and one plug came apart. I called Bose and they allowed me to send that set back to them, and sold me a new, more improved set back to me for half price. Sweet deal! Do yourself a favor. You can even take it off your taxes as office equipment pertaining to your job.
No need to spend that much - PathMT
[ In Reply To ..]No need to spend that much money. I pay about 45.00 for my Lanier stethescope stype and LOVE them, I've been using this brand and style for well over 10 years. If you take care of them and not bend the wire, you'll get your money's worth. I have a set now that I've been using for almost 6 years.
For you silly MTs who think headphones should be supplied - good thing you are not an auto mechanic.
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